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Actor Anthony Mackie is set to develop and star in a film about Olympic gold medallist Jesse Owens. The Captain America: The Winter Soldier star has teamed up with his producing partner Jason Spire and screenwriter Jamie Linden and they are hoping to shoot the film in Germany later this year (14), according to Deadline.com.
The untitled movie will centre on the lead-up to the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where the sprinter took home four gold medals, much to the disgust of Germany's Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Mackie's project is not the only movie about the American track and field star in the works - bosses at Disney are working on a film based on on the Jeremy Schaap book Triumph, while Stephan James has reportedly been cast as Owens in a film to be directed by Predator 2's Stephen Hopkins.
The Owens film might help explain why Mackie has dropped out of playing jazz musician Buddy Bolden in a biopic, due to scheduling issues.
He began filming Bolden in 2007, but in 2009 director Dan Pritzker ordered extensive re-shoots involving Mackie's scenes.
Pritzker is now planning to finish the movie by filming half of it over again and has cast Downton Abbey's Gary Carr to replace Mackie.

Lions Gate via Everett Collection
When we last left our heroes, they had conquered all opponents in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, returned home to their newly refurbished living quarters in District 12, and fallen haplessly to the cannibalism of PTSD. And now we're back! Hitching our wagons once again to laconic Katniss Everdeen and her sweet-natured, just-for-the-camera boyfriend Peeta Mellark as they gear up for a second go at the Capitol's killing fields.
But hold your horses — there's a good hour and a half before we step back into the arena. However, the time spent with Katniss and Peeta before the announcement that they'll be competing again for the ceremonial Quarter Quell does not drag. In fact, it's got some of the film franchise's most interesting commentary about celebrity, reality television, and the media so far, well outweighing the merit of The Hunger Games' satire on the subject matter by having Katniss struggle with her responsibilities as Panem's idol. Does she abide by the command of status quo, delighting in the public's applause for her and keeping them complacently saturated with her smiles and curtsies? Or does Katniss hold three fingers high in opposition to the machine into which she has been thrown? It's a quarrel that the real Jennifer Lawrence would handle with a castigation of the media and a joke about sandwiches, or something... but her stakes are, admittedly, much lower. Harvey Weinstein isn't threatening to kill her secret boyfriend.
Through this chapter, Katniss also grapples with a more personal warfare: her devotion to Gale (despite her inability to commit to the idea of love) and her family, her complicated, moralistic affection for Peeta, her remorse over losing Rue, and her agonizing desire to flee the eye of the public and the Capitol. Oftentimes, Katniss' depression and guilty conscience transcends the bounds of sappy. Her soap opera scenes with a soot-covered Gale really push the limits, saved if only by the undeniable grace and charisma of star Lawrence at every step along the way of this film. So it's sappy, but never too sappy.
In fact, Catching Fire is a masterpiece of pushing limits as far as they'll extend before the point of diminishing returns. Director Francis Lawrence maintains an ambiance that lends to emotional investment but never imposes too much realism as to drip into territories of grit. All of Catching Fire lives in a dreamlike state, a stark contrast to Hunger Games' guttural, grimacing quality that robbed it of the life force Suzanne Collins pumped into her first novel.
Once we get to the thunderdome, our engines are effectively revved for the "fun part." Katniss, Peeta, and their array of allies and enemies traverse a nightmare course that seems perfectly suited for a videogame spin-off. At this point, we've spent just enough time with the secondary characters to grow a bit fond of them — deliberately obnoxious Finnick, jarringly provocative Johanna, offbeat geeks Beedee and Wiress — but not quite enough to dissolve the mystery surrounding any of them or their true intentions (which become more and more enigmatic as the film progresses). We only need adhere to Katniss and Peeta once tossed in the pit of doom that is the 75th Hunger Games arena, but finding real characters in the other tributes makes for a far more fun round of extreme manhunt.
But Catching Fire doesn't vie for anything particularly grand. It entertains and engages, having fun with and anchoring weight to its characters and circumstances, but stays within the expected confines of what a Hunger Games movie can be. It's a good one, but without shooting for succinctly interesting or surprising work with Katniss and her relationships or taking a stab at anything but the obvious in terms of sending up the militant tyrannical autocracy, it never even closes in on the possibility of being a great one.
3.5/5
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UPDATE: While monitoring NBC's ratings may not be the most enthralling of games, watching as the peacock network rolls out its slate of new series is always diverting. We've watched the 2012 lineup of Chelsea Handler-inspired sitcoms and fedora-dependent dramas parade out before the viewing public, only for many of the flashier series to scamper off back to the place from whence they came. (Okay, okay. Are You There, Chelsea? is this close to scampering, but give it time, my friends.) But no matter which ones stick and which ones flop, NBC continually rolls things that make you go "Huh?" This year, we're once again doing the pug head tilt as we flip through the promising, perplexing and intriguing pilot-to-series pick-ups, just in time for next week's upfronts.
Hannibal Starring Hugh Dancy
The network has picked up ten episodes of Hannibal, a series about one of cinema's most beloved villains: Hannibal Lecter, immortalized by Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal and Red Dragon. Our Idiot Brother star Hugh Dancy is on board as Special Agent Will Graham (formerly played by Edward Norton in Red Dragon.)
1313 Mockingbird Lane Starring Eddie Izzard
In the 1960s, television introduced The Munsters: a life action fantasy-comedy about a family of working-class monsters (Frankenstein's monster, his vampire wife, their werewolf son, and Grandpa, a.k.a. Count "Sam" Dracula). NBC has picked up a reboot of the series, stressing the horror aspect. However, with comedian Eddie Izzard cast as Grandpa, there is likely to be a good deal of humor as well. NBC has picked up 13 episodes of 1313 Mockingbird Lane (a very apropos amount.)
Crossbones from the Creator of Luther
With cannibals and monsters on the way, NBC is covering all bases in terms of the dark and criminal: how about pirates? The network has ordered 10 episodes of Crossbones, a pirate-themed drama from Neil Cross, creator of Luther. The series is adapted from The Republic of Pirates by Colin Woodard, and is set in the 1700s.
Revolution Starring Giancarlo Esposito
When all of the world's electricity suddenly and suspiciously disappears, humanity is forced to pick up and start anew. Of course, easier said than done. Fifteen years after the incident, the world is overtaken by militant societies operating with guerilla warfare. When one girl loses her entire immediate family, she is forced to pick up and find a relative whom she hasn't seen since the planet lost its power. And of course, one question persists: why on Earth did this all happen in the first place?
Do No Harm Starring Steven Pasquale
Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde will be reinvented with a new, modern twist in Do No Harm. The new series stars Rescue Me's Steven Pasquale as an ingenious neurosurgeon, plagued by his malevolent, monstrous alter ego. Joining Pasquale are The Cosby Show's Phylicia Rashad and Law &amp; Order's lana De La Garza.
Infamous Starring Meagan Good
NBC is delving into the world of soap operas and detective stories with Infamous (previously titled Notorious). The series stars Meagan Good who goes undercover among the wealthy family for whom her mother worked as housekeeper when Good's character was a child. She is bent on investigating the murder of one of the family members, who was also her childhood best friend. The series also features Victor Garber and Damages' Tate Donovan.
Guys with Kids Starring Anthony Anderson
In light of the recent "Having kids is funny" theme that is sweeping the comedy world, NBC has picked up Guys with Kids, a sitcom about three friends who are new fathers, all the while suspended in their own adolescence. Star Anthony Anderson actually tried this once already as a movie: My Baby's Daddy, back in 2004. But let's hope this time around, the project has a little more to it. The West Wing's Jesse Bradford, The Sopranos' Jamie-Lynn Sigler and The Cosby Show's Tempestt Bledsoe also star.
Chicago Fire from Creator Dick Wolf
Law &amp; Order mastermind Dick Wolf has spent most of his career looking at the crime-laden streets of New York City, with a few trips to Los Angeles here and there. But Wolf's newest series, Chicago Fire, will focus on a team of fire fighters in the Windy City. The program stars Vampire Diaries' Taylor Kinney, Hawaii Five-0's Lauren German, and House's Jesse Spencer as members of a (if this is the same Dick Wolf we're talking about) entertaining but no-nonsense and dedicated fire department.
1600 Penn Starring Josh GadLike NBC's 30 Rock, which takes place (obviously) at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York, 1600 Penn is set at the house every American can recognize in a matter of seconds: The White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Along with President Obama's former speech writer Jon Lovett and Modern Family director Jason Winer, Book of Mormon star Josh Gad penned this sitcom centered on the First family, a group who turns out to be just as messed up as the rest of us. Gad will star alongside Bill Pullman (who will play the President of the United States once again) and Brittany Snow co-stars as the First daughter.
Animal Practice Starring Weeds' Justin Kirk
You had us Justin Kirk, but just to humor NBC, let's dig into the details. Kirk stars as a vet (as in an animal doctor, not a guy who runs the pancake breakfasts at your church) who tends to side more with the animals he operates on than their owners. Tyler Labine (Reaper) and Bobby Lee (MadTV) costar, but they'll have to wrestle for screen time because Kirk's animal hospital will also include a monkey, presumably in a tiny white lab coat. Go On Starring Matthew Perry The series sounds promising enough — a sportscaster who suffers a great loss finds solace in his support group — just imagine the Former Mr. Chandler Bing as the smug sports guy finally coming to the conclusion that it's okay to get something out of group therapy. However, we've seen this before. In fact, it's almost too familiar. This series is practically an evolution from the last two series Perry tried to get off the ground: Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and Mr. Sunshine. He's a flippant sportscaster dealing with loss; it basically offers to combine the gravity of Aaron Sorkin's SNL-inspired dramedy with the silly, quippy nature of Mr. Sunshine. That sounds like a perfectly adept progression... now let's just see if it sticks. The New Normal from Creator Ryan Murphy From the creator of Glee and American Horror Story comes a regular family sitcom about a gay couple (The Hangover's Justin Bartha and Book of Mormon's Andrew Rannells,) their surrogate (Georgia King) and their children. Ellen Barkin co-stars as the surrogate's (hopefully delightfully icy) mother and Murphy favorite NeNe Leakes (The Real Housewives of Atlanta) has secured a recurring role. No matter what happens with Leakes and Queen Barkin, there's no way the perfect pairing of Bartha and Rannells won't be worth tuning in at least once. Save Me Starring Anne Heche Anne Heche may have earned her designer shoes by heading up series like Men in Trees and earning roles on Hung and Ally McBeal, but she still can't manage to escape the stigma of her mental breakdown in 2000. Still, we've got to give the girl kudos, because she's getting back on the horse — by playing a woman doing the exact same thing. Heche stars as a woman in a broken marriage who decides to better herself, and produces miracles along the way. It's always a risk bringing miraculous happenings into play on a sitcom, but the quirky Heche might be just the girl to do it. Revolution from J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke Not satisfied with past attempts to capture the post-apocalyptic mindset on television, Revolution attempts to traverse the territory for NBC. The series will follow a group of survivors (including Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito and Twilight's Billy Burke) as they struggle in the new American landscape bereft of technology and civil order. Sure, it sounds a little like Cormac McCarthy's bestseller The Road, but with a sizeable ensemble cast like Revolution's, there will be plenty of series-worthy drama to weave into the otherwise bleak landscape.
More:
Matthew Perry's NBC Series a Go Bill Pullman Gets Presidential (Again) With NBC Giancarlo Esposito Joins J.J. Abrams' Revolution
[Image: Daily Celeb]

Theatrics slapstick and cheer are cinematic qualities you rarely find outside the realm of animation. Disney perfected it with their pantheon of cartoon classics mixing music humor spectacle and light-hearted drama that swept up children while still capturing the imaginations and hearts of their parents. But these days even reinterpretations of fairy tales get the gritty make-over leaving little room for silliness and unfiltered glee. Emerging through that dark cloud is Mirror Mirror a film that achieves every bit of imagination crafted by its two-dimensional predecessors and then some. Under the eye of master visualist Tarsem Singh (The Fall Immortals) Mirror Mirror's heightened realism imbues it with the power to pull off anything — and the movie never skimps on the anything.
Like its animated counterparts Mirror Mirror stays faithful to its source material but twists it just enough to feel unique. When Snow White (Lily Collins) was a little girl her father the King ventured into a nearby dark forest to do battle with an evil creature and was never seen or heard from again. The kingdom was inherited by The Queen (Julia Roberts) Snow's evil stepmother and the fair-skinned beauty lived locked up in the castle until her 18th birthday. Grown up and tired of her wicked parental substitute White sneaks out of the castle to the village for the first time. There she witnesses the economic horrors The Queen has imposed upon the people of her land all to fuel her expensive beautification. Along the way Snow also meets Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) who is suffering from his own money troubles — mainly being robbed by a band of stilt-wearing dwarves. When the Queen catches wind of the secret excursion she casts Snow out of the castle to be murdered by her assistant Brighton (Nathan Lane).
Fairy tales take flack for rejecting the idea of women being capable but even with its flighty presentation and dedication to the old school Disney method Mirror Mirror empowers its Snow White in a genuine way thanks to Collins' snappy charming performance. After being set free by Brighton Snow crosses paths with the thieving dwarves and quickly takes a role on their pilfering team (which she helps turn in to a Robin Hooding business). Tarsem wisely mines a spectrum of personalities out of the seven dwarves instead of simply playing them for one note comedy. Sure there's plenty of slapstick and pun humor (purposefully and wonderfully corny) but each member of the septet stands out as a warm compassionate companion to Snow even in the fantasy world.
Mirror Mirror is richly designed and executed in true Tarsem-fashion with breathtaking costumes (everything from ball gowns to the dwarf expando-stilts to ridiculous pirate ship hats with working canons) whimsical sets and a pitch-perfect score by Disney-mainstay Alan Menken. The world is a storybook and even its monsters look like illustrations rather than photo-real creations. But what makes it all click is the actors. Collins holds her own against the legendary Julia Roberts who relishes in the fun she's having playing someone despicable. She delivers every word with playful bite and her rapport with Lane is off-the-wall fun. Armie Hammer riffs on his own Prince Charming physique as Alcott. The only real misgiving of the film is the undercooked relationship between him and Snow. We know they'll get together but the journey's half the fun and Mirror Mirror serves that portion undercooked.
Children will swoon for Mirror Mirror but there's plenty here for adults — dialogue peppered with sharp wisecracks and a visual style ripped from an elegant tapestry. The movie wears its heart on its sleeve and rarely do we get a picture where both the heart and the sleeve feel truly magical.
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Enigmatic and deliberate Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy makes no reservations while unraveling its heady spy story for better or worse. The film based on the bestselling novel by John Le Carre is purposefully perplexing effectively mirroring the central character George Smiley's (Gary Oldman) own mind-bending investigation of the British MI6's mole problem. But the slow burn pacing clinical shooting style and air of intrigue only go so far—Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy sports an incredible cast that can't dramatically translate the movie's impenetrable narrative. Almost from the get go the movie collapses under its own weight.
After a botched mission in Hungary that saw his colleague Jim (Mark Strong) gunned down in the streets Smiley and his boss Control (John Hurt) are released from the "Circus" (codename for England's Secret Intelligence Service). But soon after Smiley is brought back on board as an impartial observer tasked to uncover the possible infiltration of the organization. The former agent already dealing with the crippling of his own marriage attempts to sift through the history and current goings on of the Circus narrowing his hunt down to four colleagues: Percy aka "Tinker" (Toby Jones) Bill aka "Tailor" (Colin Firth) Roy aka "Soldier" (Ciaran Hinds) and Toy aka "Poor Man" (David Dencik). Working with Peter (Benedict Cumberbatch) a conflicted younger member of the service and Ricki (Tom Hardy) a rogue agent who has information of his own Smiley slowly uncovers the muddled truth—occasionally breaking in to his own work place and crossing his own friends to do so.
Describing Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as dense doesn't seem complicated enough. The first hour of the monster mystery moves at a sloth's pace trickling out information like the tedious drips of a leaky faucet. The talent on display is undeniable but the characters Smiley included are so cold that a connection can never be made. TTSS sporadically jumps around from past to present timelines without any indication: a tactic that proves especially confusing when scenes play out in reoccurring locations. It's not until halfway through that the movie decides to kick into high gear Smiley's search for a culprit finally becoming clear enough to thrill. A film that takes its time is one thing but Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy does so without any edge or hook.
What the movie lacks in coherency it makes up for in style and thespian gravitas. Director Tomas Alfredson has assembled some of the finest British performers working today and they turn the script's inaccessible spy jargon into poetry. Firth stands out as the group's suave slimeball a departure from his usual nice guy roles. Hardy assures us he's the next big thing once again as the agency's resident moppet a lover who breaks down after a romantic fling uncovers horrifying truth. Oldman is given the most difficult task of the bunch turning the reserved contemplative Smiley into a real human. He half succeeds—his observational slant in the beginning feels like an extension of the movie's bigger problems but once gets going in the second half of the film he's quite a bit of fun.
Alfredson constructs Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy like a cinematic architect each frame dripping with perfectly kitschy '70s production design and camera angles that make the spine tingle. He creates paranoia through framing similar to the Coppola's terrifying The Conversation but unlike that film TTSS doesn't have the characters or story to match. The movie strives to withhold information and succeeds—too much so. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy wants us to solve a mystery with George Smiley but it never clues us in to exactly why we should want to.

The first and most important thing you should know about Paramount Pictures’ Thor is that it’s not a laughably corny comic book adaptation. Though you might find it hokey to hear a bunch of muscled heroes talk like British royalty while walking around the American Southwest in LARP garb director Kenneth Branagh has condensed vast Marvel mythology to make an accessible straightforward fantasy epic. Like most films of its ilk I’ve got some issues with its internal logic aesthetic and dialogue but the flaws didn’t keep me from having fun with this extra dimensional adventure.
Taking notes from fellow Avenger Iron Man the story begins with an enthralling event that takes place in a remote desert but quickly jumps back in time to tell the prologue which introduces the audience to the shining kingdom of Asgard and its various champions. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) son of Odin is heir to the throne but is an arrogant overeager and ill-tempered rogue whose aggressive antics threaten a shaky truce between his people and the frost giants of Jotunheim one of the universe’s many realms. Odin (played with aristocratic boldness by Anthony Hopkins) enraged by his son’s blatant disregard of his orders to forgo an assault on their enemies after they attempt to reclaim a powerful artifact banishes the boy to a life among the mortals of Earth leaving Asgard defenseless against the treachery of Loki his mischievous “other son” who’s always felt inferior to Thor. Powerless and confused the disgraced Prince finds unlikely allies in a trio of scientists (Natalie Portman Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings) who help him reclaim his former glory and defend our world from total destruction.
Individually the make-up visual effects CGI production design and art direction are all wondrous to behold but when fused together to create larger-than-life set pieces and action sequences the collaborative result is often unharmonious. I’m not knocking the 3D presentation; unlike 2010’s genre counterpart Clash of the Titans the filmmakers had plenty of time to perfect the third dimension and there are only a few moments that make the decision to convert look like it was a bad one. It’s the unavoidable overload of visual trickery that’s to blame for the frost giants’ icy weaponized constructs and other hybrids of the production looking noticeably artificial. Though there’s some imagery to nitpick the same can’t be said of Thor’s thunderous sound design which is amped with enough wattage to power The Avengers’ headquarters for a century.
Chock full of nods to the comics the screenplay is both a strength and weakness for the film. The story is well sequenced giving the audience enough time between action scenes to grasp the characters motivations and the plot but there are tangential narrative threads that disrupt the focus of the film. Chief amongst them is the frost giants’ fore mentioned relic which is given lots of attention in the first act but has little effect on the outcome. In addition I felt that S.H.I.E.L.D. was nearly irrelevant this time around; other than introducing Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye the secret security faction just gets in the way of the movie’s momentum.
While most of the comedy crashes and burns there are a few laughs to be found in the film. Most come from star Hemsworth’s charismatic portrayal of the God of Thunder. He plays up the stranger-in-a-strange-land aspect of the story with his cavalier but charming attitude and by breaking all rules of diner etiquette in a particularly funny scene with the scientists whose respective roles as love interest (Portman) friendly father figure (Skarsgaard) and POV character (Dennings) are ripped right out of a screenwriters handbook.
Though he handles the humorous moments without a problem Hemsworth struggles with some of the more dramatic scenes in the movie; the result of over-acting and too much time spent on the Australian soap opera Home and Away. Luckily he’s surrounded by a stellar supporting cast that fills the void. Most impressive is Tom Hiddleston who gives a truly humanistic performance as the jealous Loki. His arc steeped in Shakespearean tragedy (like Thor’s) drums up genuine sympathy that one rarely has for a comic book movie villain.
My grievances with the technical aspects of the production aside Branagh has succeeded in further exploring the Marvel Universe with a film that works both as a standalone superhero flick and as the next chapter in the story of The Avengers. Thor is very much a comic book film and doesn’t hide from the reputation that its predecessors have given the sub-genre or the tropes that define it. Balanced pretty evenly between “serious” and “silly ” its scope is large enough to please fans well versed in the source material but its tone is light enough to make it a mainstream hit.

In the realm of superhero cinema 2011, Marvel Studios is bringing a plethora of characters to the big screen. The first to hit 3D and conventional theaters is Thor, starring Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Rene Russo, Idris Elba, Clark Gregg, Jamie Alexander and many, many more. Shakespearean expert Kenneth Branagh brings his unmatched command of drama to this tale of a disgraced warrior who gets a shot at redemption on Earth as he faces a cataclysmic threat from his own world.
The film won't hit theaters until May 6th, but you can get a taste of the extraordinary action and adventure in this new trailer below!

Bandits was robbed!
Hurt by crisis news reports on television Friday, the adult appeal MGM comedy failed to break into first place as insiders anticipated. Expectations were strong that Bandits would open atop the chart after its very successful sneaks a week earlier and given its high flyer power on Hollywood's advance radar screen.
Despite Bandits' strong buzz, its launch suffered from widespread fears throughout the country about possible terrorist actions this weekend as well as from television reports of anthrax scares in several states. That coverage -- which some observers have taken to calling "the CNN effect" -- appears to have resulted in many adult moviegoers, who might otherwise have bought tickets to Bandits, opting to stay home this weekend and watch the news. That cut sharply into Bandits' take -- especially on Friday -- in key markets like New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Boston.
At the same time, Warner Bros.' tough police corruption drama Training Day starring Denzel Washington held up very well and had an advantage in its strong urban appeal. Training edged out Bandits for the top spot on the chart, nailing down in its second week about $13.55 million vs. Bandits' haul of about $13.46 million.
Ticket sales for key films this weekend were up modestly from last year by about 4.4 percent, but fell about 7.4 percent from the previous weekend this year.
THE TOP TEN
Warner Bros. R rated police corruption drama Training Day continued to patrol first place in its second week with a still forceful ESTIMATED $13.55 million (-40 percent) at 2,712 theaters (theater count unchanged; $4,994 per theater). Its cume is approximately $43.6 million, heading for $75 million-plus in domestic theaters.
Training's average per theater was the highest for any film this weekend.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the Warner Bros. presentation in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment stars Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke.
"We had another good weekend on Training Day ," Warner Bros. Distribution executive vice president and general sales manager Jeff Goldstein said Sunday morning. "It's only off 40 percent. That's just what you would hope for."
MGM and Hyde Park Entertainment's PG-13 rated comedy Bandits kicked off in second place to a sexy ESTIMATED $13.46 million at 3,207 theaters ($4,198 per theater).
Directed by Barry Levinson, it stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton and Cate Blanchett.
"I think you were right when you said that," MGM worldwide theatrical marketing and distribution president Bob Levin said Sunday morning when I told him I'd predicted a first place finish for Bandits.
"We all feel that that's where we were. And then, here you are watching TV waiting for your first early matinee grosses to come in (on Friday) and, oh, there goes Bruce Willis' Good Morning America (promotional appearance). And then you flip over and Regis and Kelly are still on and then in the middle of (that show) where he's supposed to be (there was an interruption for breaking news)."
After that, he continued, "It just became an onslaught of a mixture of anthrax here, anthrax there stories and rumors, validations, news conferences and then (Attorney General John) Ashcroft every once in a while telling people there's a real serious threat for the next three days. I think that cooked up the stew because every indication was that we'd open better. In fact, every indication I think that Disney had (about Corky Romano) and every indication that Miramax had (about Iron Monkey) on their two movies is they'd open better."
Assessing what happened, Levin said, "I just think we took the severest hit by everything we measure (being) an adult comedy. Our exits say about 75 percent of the audience that showed up was over 25. We know from our sneaks (the previous weekend) that was also true. We know from everything that we're an adult movie that plays exactly to the kind of people who are most sensitive to current events versus Corky being a youth comedy and Training Day being an urban, gritty movie. So we were probably hit more than anyone."
Bandits' New York grosses were hit very hard, on Friday, Levin said, pointing out that, "We did more in those matinees in (small towns in) Texas than we did in some of the key houses in Manhattan. That's how severe Manhattan was (affected). And you know, there were other things going on (that also reflected the public's concern about going out this weekend). The Brave's game had 70 percent attendance. The Rose Bowl (UCLA vs. Washington) wasn't filled yesterday.
"And then we had these huge unexpected bumps (on Saturday vs Friday). You know, you look at a movie like this and you'd say Friday to Saturday (should be in the) 20-25 percent range in the bump. New York came back 62 percent. D.C. was 60 percent. (But) these enormous bumps were still not bumping enough to what you really need to right the ship. We saw ourselves last night probably get a number that we would have been happy getting Friday night under normal circumstances and we filled out from there. Although Saturday showed signs that it bounced back, it just didn't come back strong in volume. It came back in percentages very, very strong. But Friday was a wipe out for us."
Looking ahead, Levin noted, "We have strong word of mouth and I think we're, for the time being, into a new world of movie marketing, distribution and opening and that can be uprighted by any change in what the public needs to know and how they respond to it. I think this is a sign of that. It's like we all understand (the effect of) blizzards or earthquakes -- 'Oh, L.A. had an earthquake so no one went to the movies.' Or, 'Oh, the mid-west got wiped out (by a blizzard).' This is like a self-selecting blizzard. You can get out of the house if you want to, but you don't want to.
Buena Vista/Touchstone's PG-13 rated comedy Corky Romano opened in third place to an encouraging ESTIMATED $9.3 million at 2,062 theaters ($4,510 per theater). The film reportedly only cost $11 million to produce.
Directed by Rob Prits and produced by Robert Simonds, it stars Chris Kattan.
"Bob Simonds is probably one of those producers who has more films that get into profit than anybody else," Buena Vista Distribution president Chuck Viane said Sunday morning. "He makes them for a price. He makes them for an audience obviously. And he did very well because what I'm seeing in the CinemaScore is that he got an A from the teens under 21 for males and an A- for females and everything else was a B, which I think just goes to show you how much people are dying for comedy out there right now."
Given the film's low production cost, Viane laughed, "It'll take me about another week to turn this picture into a profit (position). With the studios having tough times like everybody else, it's nice to know you can walk one into a profit real quick and follow up with Monsters, Inc. and do the same thing."
Miramax's PG-13 rated romantic comedy Serendipity fell two pegs to fourth place in its second week with a still attractive ESTIMATED $9.0 million (-32 percent) at 2,603 theaters (+2 theaters; $3,458 per theater). Its cume is approximately $26.6 million.
Directed by Peter Chelsom, it stars John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale.
"It was a great hold for us and we're real happy," Miramax senior vice president, marketing David Kaminow, said Sunday morning. "It does seem to be the right movie for now. It's really the only romantic comedy that's still out there. We'll face a little competition this weekend from Riding In Cars With Boys, but there's room for both of us."
20th Century Fox's release of Regency Enterprises and Village Roadshow Pictures' R rated thriller Don't Say a Word fell two rungs to fifth in its third week with an okay ESTIMATED $6.78 million (-31 percent) at 2,728 theaters (-114 theaters; $2,485 per theater). Its cume is approximately $41.8 million, heading for a domestic theatrical gross in the mid-$60 millions.
Directed by Gary Fleder and produced by Arnon Milchan, Arnold Kopelson and Anne Kopelson, Word stars Michael Douglas.
"The 31 percent drop bodes well," Fox distribution president Bruce Snyder said Sunday morning. "It had the best bump from Friday to Saturday. I think Don't Say A Word's kind of gotten its own place in the market right now. (It was) up 60 percent from Friday to Saturday. Nothing's near that except for (Disney's kid appeal) Max Keeble in terms of percentage pop. So I think Don't Say A Word has found a groove even with Training Day and Bandits opening. I think it's going to be around."
Miramax's PG-13 rated martial arts adventure Iron Monkey opened in sixth place to a brassy ESTIMATED $6 million at 1,225 theaters ($4,898 per theater).
Directed by Yuen Wo Ping, it stars Yu Rong-Guang.
"This is one of those movies that you do because it's a labor of love," Miramax's David Kaminow said Sunday morning, referring to the company's release of the well regarded 1993 Hong Kong film which has never had a U.S. theatrical release.
"It's a labor of love for the company -- like when we restored El Cid and Belle De Jour and things of that nature. This is really sort of, as we like to say, a gift for moviegoers who appreciate that sort of undiscovered gems. These movies are modestly profitable. It's not about that, it's really about the cinematic aspects of it all. We're working on a Cinema Paradiso restoration, as well. This seems to be something that we're going to start focus on in addition to our other (releases), just having these restorations and bringing back movies that the public may not be that aware of and that from a cinematic standpoint are of some importance."
Paramount and Village Roadshow Pictures' PG-13 youth appeal comedy Zoolander slipped three slots to seventh place in its third week with a less funny ESTIMATED $5.1 million (-46 percent) at 2,522 theaters (+2 theaters; $2,022 per theater). Its cume is approximately $35.8 million, heading for $45 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by and starring Ben Stiller, it was produced by Scott Rudin, Ben Stiller and Stuart Cornfeld.
20th Century Fox and Regency's R rated thriller Joy Ride fell three pegs to eighth place in its second week with an unexciting ESTIMATED $4.87 million (-34 percent) at 2,522 theaters (+25 theaters; $1,931 per theater). Its cume is approximately $14.7 million, heading for $25 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by John Dahl, it stars Steve Zahn, Paul Walker and LeeLee Sobieski.
Buena Vista/Disney's PG rated comedy Max Keeble's Big Move slipped three rungs to ninth place in its second week with a slow ESTIMATED $4.0 million (-26 percent) at 2,045 theaters ($1,956 per theater). Its cume is approximately $10.9 million.
Directed by Tim Hill, it stars Alex D. Linz, Larry Miller, Jamie Kennedy, Nora Dunn and Robert Carradine.
Rounding out the Top Ten was Warner Bros. and Castle Rock Entertainment's third week of the PG-13 rated drama Hearts In Atlantis, which was seventh a week earlier, with a quiet ESTIMATED $2.79 million (-45 percent) at 2,010 theaters
(theater count unchanged; $1,386 per theater). Its cume is approximately $20.7 million, heading for $25 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Scott Hicks, it stars Anthony Hopkins.
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend also saw the arrival of Universal's R rated drama Mulholland Drive. to a very promising ESTIMATED $0.71 million at 68 theaters ($10,412 per theater). Its cume after five days is approximately $0.79 million.
Written and directed by David Lynch, it stars Justin Theroux and Naomi Watts.
Paramount Classics' R rated drama My First Mister arrived to a soft ESTIMATED $0.1 million at 33 theaters ($3,182 per theater).
Directed by Christine Lahti, it stars Albert Brooks and Leelee Sobieski.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
This weekend saw no national sneak previews.
EXPANSIONS
There was no significant action on the expansion front this weekend.
INTERNATIONAL
Universal International reported Sunday morning that it enjoyed a strong opening this weekend in the U.K. for American Pie 2 this weekend. Pie 2 placed first by a huge margin with a 50 percent market share. For Friday-Saturday, the film took in $5.6 million in the U.K. and with Sunday's grosses still to come, it looms as one of the country's biggest opening weekends this year. Universal said Pie 2 is running 30 percent ahead of Jurassic Park III, 103 percent ahead of Pearl Harbor and 173 percent ahead of the original American Pie.
In Germany, Pie 2 held on to the top spot on the chart for the third week in a row with a three-day gross of $2.4 million. Its 17 day cume in Germany is $21.7 million, which the studio said is 25 percent ahead of Pearl Harbor, 45 percent ahead of the first American Pie, 68 percent ahead of Jurassic Park III and 66 percent ahead of The Mummy Returns.
In Austria, Pie 2 was No. 1 in its third week with a two day gross of $0.22 million, putting it 282 percent ahead of this weekend's opening of America's Sweethearts. After 16 days in theaters, Pie 2's cume in Austria is $2.4 million, which is the same as Pearl Harbor, 50 percent bigger than The Mummy Returns and 148 percent bigger than Jurassic Park III.
Overall, Pie 2 was the top grossing film at the international box office this weekend. Its international box office total to date is $38 million with 30 countries representing about 65 percent of the international market still to open.
"We are thrilled with the fantastic opening of American Pie 2 in the UK and its continued amazing performance in Germany and Austria," Randy Greenberg, senior vice president, international theatrical marketing &amp; distribution for Universal Pictures, said Sunday morning. "Audiences around the globe have embraced these characters again and are going to the movies to laugh."
Universal also reported that in Spain this weekend The Fast and the Furious enjoyed a two day gross of $0.57 million, down only 7 percent from its opening the previous weekend. Fast was third in the market, behind the sixth week of The Others and the opening of Moulin Rouge. Fast's nine-day cume is $2 million.
In its fifth week in the U.K. Fast had a two-day gross of $0.28 million. Its cume after 30 days in the U.K. is $8.8 million.
In Australia, Fast's fourth weekend gross was $0.3 million with a 25 day cume of $4.7 million. The film's international cume is $35 million with 18 countries still to open.
Universal's release of Bridget Jones's Diary ranked fourth in its eighth week Down Under with a two day gross of $0.326 million, down only 14 percent, and a 51-day cume of $18.8 million. Bridget passed $155 million at the international box office this weekend with 10 countries still to open.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $80.38 million, up about 4.41 per cent from the comparable weekend last year when key films grossed $76.98 million.
This weekend's key film gross was down about 7.43 percent from last weekend of this year, when key films took in approximately $86.82 million.
Last year, Universal's second week of Meet the Parents was first with $21.17 million at 2,615 theaters ($8,095 per theater); and Buena Vista's third week of Remember the Titans was second with $13.06 million at 2,726 theaters ($4,790 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $34.3 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $27.0 million.

Americans volunteered to buy over $24 million in basic Training tickets at this weekend's box office.
Driven by powerful openings for Warner Bros.' Training Day and Miramax's Serendipity, ticket sales for key films rose nearly 32 percent over the previous weekend and about 15 percent over the prior year. Insiders called it another clear indication that moviegoing is once again a routine part of American life.
The weekend also benefited from Monday, Oct. 8 being Columbus Day in the U.S. and Thanksgiving Day in Canada. Holiday Mondays typically generate stronger Sunday night ticket sales.
Also helping to propel this weekend's box office were strong sneak previews Saturday night for MGM and Hyde Park Entertainment's comedy Bandits (for details see SNEAK PREVIEWS below).
With the breaking news Sunday morning at about 10 o'clock Pacific time of America's military action in Afghanistan in response to Sept. 11's terrorist bombings in the U.S., it is possible that anticipated Sunday ticket sales may be hurt by non-stop television crisis news coverage. If so, Monday's final numbers will be somewhat less than today's early morning estimates. But with Friday and Saturday ticket sales having already exhibited great strength, Hollywood should look good even if Sunday's numbers are less than projected.
THE TOP TEN
Warner Bros. launched its R rated police corruption drama Training Day to an explosive ESTIMATED $24.18 million at 2,712 theaters ($8,914 per theater).
Training's average per theater was the highest for any film this weekend.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the Warner Bros. presentation in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment stars Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke.
"This is the largest opening weekend in Denzel Washington's distinguished career," Warner Bros. Distribution president Dan Fellman said Sunday morning. "His previous
record was Remember the Titans with $20.9 million (via Buena Vista at 1,865 theaters the weekend of Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2000) and also became his largest grossing film at $115 million (in domestic theaters). This is the largest October opening in Warner history."
Training, Fellman added," performed extremely well in all markets with the largest grosses coming from major urban areas -- New York, L.A., Detroit, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco, Atlanta. The demographics were about 48 percent male and 52 percent female, of which 75 percent were 25 and older. All segments had excellent reactions to the film."
What accounts for the film's strong opening? "I think it really has to be credited to excellent reviews, Denzel's performance and the direction of Antoine Fuqua," Fellman replied. "We're very happy. It's terrific."
Warners originally planned to release Training on Sept. 21, but moved it to Oct. 5 following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Those attacks resulted in the networks pre-empting regular television programming and advertising for days in order to provide wall-to-wall crisis news coverage.
"We needed the time to promote the film and we obviously had to make an adjustment in our release schedule," Fellman explained. "This turned out to be a great date and we made the right choice."
Miramax's PG-13 rated romantic comedy Serendipityarrived in second place to an engaging ESTIMATED $14.0 million at 2,601 theaters ($5,382 per theater).
Directed by Peter Chelsom, it stars John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale.
"It's off to a great start," Miramax senior vice president, marketing David Kaminow, said Sunday morning. "I think the sneaks (last Friday and Saturday nights) definitely helped set us up for this weekend because we had great word of mouth out of the sneaks and continue to (have) this weekend. We have, again, 80 percents in the Top Two Boxes and 70 percents definite recommend."
Who was on hand opening weekend? "Our core age demo looks to be 21 to 39, making up about 60 percent of the audience," Kaminow said. "And what's encouraging is we shifted a bit on our male-female split. Where last week it was 65-35 (female-male), we're now looking more like 60 percent female and 40 percent male, which is great because the guys are liking it as much as the women. So we don't have to get pigeonholed as just a female movie. Last night looked to be a big date night movie.
"As I said last week, the movie provides romance and comedy, which is a great combination for all audiences and for right now. For the time, I think it's the perfect movie. It's the first romantic comedy to come out since the tragedies. And it's a love letter to New York, as well. So (for) all of these factors, it just seems like the right movie for the time. We think like Bridget Jones's Diary and The Others earlier in the year, this is going to hang in there and continue to play and be a word of mouth hit and, hopefully, not have the big drops each week and really play through. So it's a very encouraging start and we're very happy."
20th Century Fox's release of Regency Enterprises and Village Roadshow Pictures' R rated thriller Don't Say A Word fell two pegs to third place in its second weekend with a solid sizzling ESTIMATED $10.0 million (-41 percent) at 2,842 theaters (+40 theaters; $3,519 per theater). Its cume is approximately $32.2 million, heading for about $70 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Gary Fleder and produced by Arnon Milchan, Arnold Kopelson and Anne Kopelson, Word stars Michael Douglas.
"There's a lot of business this weekend," Fox distribution president Bruce Snyder said Sunday morning.
"The marketplace is certainly strong. I only track 12 pictures and I'm up 4 percent from last year."
Asked what accounts for the upswing in ticket sales, Snyder replied, "As always, people are going to the movies and there are some good movies being put out -- and not
with thoughts about just make it soft or whatever. We're putting out regular movies and the public's responding."
Paramount and Village Roadshow Pictures' PG-13 youth appeal comedy Zoolander slipped two slots to fourth place in its second week with a still funny ESTIMATED $9.85 million (-37 percent) at 2,520 theaters (+13 theaters; $3,909 per theater). Its cume is approximately $28.7 million, heading for $45-50 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by and starring Ben Stiller, it was produced by Scott Rudin, Ben Stiller and Stuart Cornfeld.
20th Century Fox and Regency's R rated thriller Joy Ride kicked off quietly in fifth place to an ESTIMATED $7.3 million at 2,496 theaters ($2,955 per theater).
Directed by John Dahl, it stars Steve Zahn, Paul Walker and LeeLee Sobieski.
Buena Vista/Disney's PG rated comedy Max Keeble's Big Move opened in sixth place to a not-so-big ESTIMATED $5.5 million at 2,014 theaters ($2,752 per theater).
Directed by Tim Hill, it stars Alex D. Linz, Larry Miller, Jamie Kennedy, Nora Dunn and Robert Carradine.
Warner Bros.' release of Castle Rock Entertainment's PG-13 rated drama Hearts In Atlantis went wider in its second week, sliding four rungs to seventh place with a slower ESTIMATED $5.4 million (-40 percent) at 2,010 theaters (+259 theaters; $2,687 per theater). Its cume is approximately $16.8 million, heading for about $30 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Scott Hicks, it stars Anthony Hopkins.
Paramount's PG-13 rated urban appeal drama-comedy Hardball slid four notches to eighth place in its fourth week with an okay ESTIMATED $3.7 million (-28 percent) at 2,314 theaters (+96 theaters; $1,599 per theater). Its cume is approximately $30.8 million, heading for $40 million.
Directed by Brian Robbins, it stars Keanu Reeves.
Dimension Films' hit PG-13 thriller The Others fell four rungs to ninth place in its ninth week with a less scary ESTIMATED $3.0 million (-39 percent) at 2,272 theaters (-452 theaters; $1,320 per theater). Others, which cost only $17 million to make, has a cume of approximately $90.7 million, heading for $100 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Alejandro Amenabar, it stars Nicole Kidman.
Rounding out the Top Ten was New Line Cinema's PG-13 rated action comedy blockbuster sequel Rush Hour 2, which was sixth last week, with an okay ESTIMATED $1.78 million in its tenth week (-29 percent) at 1,549 theaters (-537 theaters; $1,146 per theater). Its cume is approximately $221.6 million, heading for $225 million in domestic theaters.
Directed by Brett Ratner, it stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.
OTHER OPENINGS
This weekend saw no other wide releases.
SNEAK PREVIEWS
This weekend saw MGM hold 1,000 well-attended sneak previews Saturday night of its PG-13 rated comedy Bandits. The sneaks were held at theaters playing Paramount's Hardball, which reflected their success in its Saturday grosses. After doing about $0.9 million on Friday, Hardball soared to about $1.75 million on Saturday, up about 95 percent.
Directed by Barry Levinson, it stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton and Cate Blanchett.
"We were two-thirds full overall with 15 percent sell-outs," MGM marketing executive Amanda Lundberg said Sunday morning. "80 percent were in the Top Two Boxes (excellent and very good). 70 percent definite recommend. The average age was between 25 and 34. It was 52 percent male and 48 percent female.
"We're thrilled. It's exactly what we wanted. It's exactly why you sneak a picture. It's exactly what you hope to get when you sneak a picture."
Bandits opens Friday (Oct. 12) at about 3,000 theaters.
EXPANSIONS
There was no significant action on the expansion front this weekend.
INTERNATIONAL
Universal International reported Sunday morning that it had the number one and two films in Germany this weekend with American Pie 2 and Bridget Jones's Diary. Pie 2 in its second week in theaters grossed $3.9 million for Thursday-Saturday, bringing its 10 day cume to $16.6 million, the year's 10-day best for any film playing in Germany. Bridget in its seventh week took in $0.8 million, bringing its 45 day cume to $18 million.
In Austria, Pie 2 was first on the chart in its second week with $0.38 million in ticket sales for Friday-Saturday. Its nine day cume is $1.8 million, matching what Pearl Harbor did but running 47 percent ahead of The Mummy Returns and 145 percent ahead of Jurassic Park III.
In the Netherlands, Pie 2 opened to over $0.5 million for three days, more than double the first four days for the original American Pie.
In Spain, Universal's The Fast and the Furious got off to a strong start this weekend with
$0.55 million for two days. The film was second to Miramax/Dimension's The Others, which has topped the chart in Spain for five weeks.
In its fourth week in the U.K., Fast had a two-day gross of $0.525 million, ranking fifth in the marketplace. In its third week in Australia, it grossed $0.425 million for three days, placing fifth on the chart.
Overall, Universal said Pie 2's international cume is now $22 million with 36 countries still to open. Fast has an international cume of $28 million with 20 countries still to open. Bridget, which Miramax released domestically (and co-financed with Universal), has an international cume that is now over $150 million with 10 countries still to open.
WEEKEND COMPARISONS
Key films -- those grossing more than $500,000 -- took in approximately $91.07 million, up about 15.06 percent from the comparable weekend last year when key films grossed $79.15 million.
This weekend's key film gross was up about 31.64 percent from last weekend of this year, when key films took in approximately $69.18 million.
Last year, Universal's opening week of Meet the Parents was first with $28.62 million at 2,614 theaters ($10,950 per theater); and Buena Vista's second week of Remember the Titans was second with $19.21 million at 2,701 theaters ($7,112 per theater). The top two films one year ago grossed $47.8 million. This year, the top two films grossed an ESTIMATED $38.2 million.

Bobby Garfield (David Morse) returns to his small hometown to attend the funeral of his childhood friend and remembers the fateful summer in 1960 when his whole world changed. The story flashes back to when 11-year-old Bobby (Anton Yelchin) and his best friends Carol (Mika Boorem) and Sully-John (Will Rothhaar) capture the pure joy of youthfulness. When a mysterious stranger named Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins) moves upstairs and starts to pay attention to Bobby the boy suddenly realizes what's truly missing from his life--the love of a parent. Bobby's mother Liz (Hope Davis) is embittered by the death of Bobby's father and shows little compassion for her son's growing needs. Ted fills a void with the boy opening his eyes to the world around him and helps Bobby come to terms with his real feelings for Carol--and his mother. But Ted also has some deep dark secrets of his own and Bobby tries hard to stop danger from reaching the old man.
The performances make the film especially in the genuine camaraderie of the kids. Yelchin Boorem and Rothhaar never deliver a false move with an easiness that makes us believe we are simply watching three 11-year-old children grow up together. Yelchin in particular is able to get right to the heart of this young boy who misses his father and clings to the only adult who will listen. And his scenes with Boorem simply break your heart. (Davis) does an admirable job playing a part none too sympathetic. She manages to show a woman whose been beaten down but who does truly love her son in her own way. Morse too is one of those character actors you can plug in any movie and get a performance worth noting. In Hearts you want to see more of him. Of course the film shines brightest when Hopkins is on the screen. It may not be an Oscar-caliber performance but the actor is unparalleled in bringing a character to life--showing the subtleties of an old man looking for some peace in his life.
If you are expecting the Stephen King novel you may be disappointed. Screenwriter William Goldman and director Scott Hicks (Shine) deftly extracted the King formula of telling a story through a child's eye and explaining how the relationships formed as a child shaped the adult later. Hicks did an amazing job with his young actors especially Yelchin and Boorem. But where the novel continued into a supernatural theme explaining Brautigan's fear of being captured by "low men in yellow coats" (a reference to King's The Dark Tower series) the movie downplayed the mystical elements instead giving real explanations for Brautigan's man-on-the-run. That was the one problem with Hearts--we needed more danger. Introducing men from another dimension may not have been the way to go but had there been more tension the film would have resonated more especially when Bobby risked his own safety to save Ted.